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(Model.)

B. L. HOWE.

DRIVE CHAIN- No. 273,845. I Patented Mar. 13,1883.

STATES P TENT EEICE,

EUGENE L. HOWE, 0F onick'eo, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE EWART MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 273,845, dated March 13, 1883. Application filed January 8, 1883. (Modem To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE L. HowE, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drive-Chains; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this application.

My invention relates to an improvement in that kind of drive-chains which is composed of alternate double and single bar links, each of the double-bar links having its portions united at the ends by pintle-like rods, and each of the single-bar links being formed with semicylindrical end portions, the interior surfaces of which bear against concave projections of the bars of the double link, and the interior semi-cylindrical surfaces of which work against or around pintle-like devices of said doublebar links. A good example of this kind of chainisseen in Letters Patent granted to J. M. Dodge, N 0. 234,548.

In this kind of chain as heretofore constructed a serious difficulty has existed in the practical use of the chain on account of the too easy separation of the parts, or an accidental uncoupling of the male and female portions in the event of the parts of the chains getting outof their usual working relative positions. This kind of chain is used mostly in large sizes and very extensively for log haulups in saw-mills, and it has been found in practice that whenever any accidental breakage of a link occurs, so as to let the chain apart, there is great liability of many of the portions of the chain becoming detached from each other and falling into the water, which notonl y occasions considerableloss and trouble in the recovery of the sunken parts, but, as all of them cannot be sometimes recovered, necessitates considerable delay in replacing the missing parts of a chain with new ones before the log haul-up can again be set into successful operation.

My invention has for its main object to overcome this objection in the use of this kind of chain by applying a preventive against the too ready separation or uncoupling of the parts;

and to this main end and object myinvention consists, in combination with the interior faces of the side bars of the double links, of projections or lugs which operate as stops to prevent the extrication from their working positions of the semi-cylindrical hub-like projections of the single-bar links, with recesses or cut-outs in their ends, so arranged as to permit the passage by said projections or stops of the said ends of the hub-like portionsot' the singlebar links only when the latter and the doublebar links are placed in one particular or precise and very unusual relative position.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention relates to make and use drivechains embodying the same, I will now proceed to more fully describe the construction and operation of the chain made according to a my said invention, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which Figure l is a top view; Fig. 2, a side view with one part of the double link broken away; Fig. 3,21. view similar to Fig. 2,except that one of the single-bar links shown is represented as being turned into the particular relative position to permit its disengagement from the double-bar link. Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken at the line 00 0c of Fig, 2.

In the several figures the same parts will be found designated by the same letters of reference.

Each of the double-bar links of my improved chain is composed of two side bars, A A,each of which is formed at each end with an in wardly-projecting socket-like portion, b, the said two bars A A being united by the transverse pintle-like bars or rods 0 c, in about the usual manner of construction of the doublebar links of the kind of chain to which my improvement relates.

Each of the single-bar links is made,as seen, of a body portion, D, andend hub-like portions, 0 e, all in about the usual manner, except that each of the hub-like devices or portions e e is formed or provided, as shown at ff, with recesses or cut-outs about similar in size and shape to the projecting lugs or stop devices 9, that project, as shown, from the adjacent or interior faces of the bars A A of the doublebarlink. The arrangementor location of these projections gis such, as shown, that when any one of the single-bar links shall be turned up at aboutright angles to the plane of the doublebar link, with which it is coupled, two of said projections will operate (one on each of the said bars A A) as a stop against the exterior end portions of the hub-like devices c of the single-bar link, and will prevent any displacement of said hub-like device relatively to the pintle about which it turns until said singlebar link shall have been turned into the precise relationship to the double-bar link shown at Fig. 3,- in which position the recesses or cutouts come adjacent to the projections and permit the removal of the single-bar link from the double-bar link by a movement of the former in the direction indicated by the arrow at Fig.

3. By this means, it will be seen, no uncoupline, of the parts of a chain of that kind to which my invention relates can occur, except when the single and double bar links assume the precise relative position just explained, and it will be understood that such a relative position of the parts is exceedingly unlikely to occur, even when, in the case of using an endless chain, a breakage occurs, and the different portions of the chain are thus allowed to swing away from their natural positions.

Of course the size and shape of the lugs, as

well as of the cut-outs, may be varied without departing from the principle of my invention, the gist of which rests in the idea of having some sort of the stop-like device combined with the parts of the chain, so as to prevent the removal of the hub-like devices 6 c from their bearings and seats in the ends of the double-bar links, except when the parts of the chain assume one precise and very unusual relative position.

Having now so fully explained my invention that those skilled in the art can make anduse a chain of the type referred to with my improveme'nt embraced therein, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with the double-bar link provided with pintle-like devices at either end and a single-bar link provided with hub-like portions, projections located on the inner faces of the side pieces of the double-bar link, and

recesses or cut-outs at one or both ends of the hub-like portions of the single-bar link, all substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this etth day of January, 1883.

' EUGENE L. HOWE. In presence of-- G. E. MARSHALL, GLENN G. Howe. 

